One Shot
by Akiko Natsuko
Summary: Repost from my old account (SOLOTAIRE) with minor corrections. The thoughts of the team members when the shot is fired at the end of Derailed and on the flight home.


Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and its associated characters don't belong to me, I am merely borrowing them.

Authors Note: This is a repost with minor corrections from my old account Solotaire.

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_CRACK!_

The retort of the gunshot echoed across the area surrounding the train, sending tendrils of dread through everyone, both those on board and those outside.

Gideon stumbled backwards at the sound, almost as though the bullet had struck him. Instantly a terrible fear rose within him, the image of Reid standing so close to Dr. Bryar flashing through his mind as though to taunt him with the possibility of failure. A second later he was bolting towards the train, dreading what he might find in the carriage, but desperate to reach it. Wondering whether in his role as the 'higher authority' he had gambled too dangerously, whether he had sentenced Reid to death. The young Agent's request for at least one of them to look as though he was coming back seemed to mock him as he practically leapt up the steps to the carriage, the dread threatening to swallow him whole…

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Hotch flinched at the gunshot, watching as Gideon stumbled before bolting forward even as his mind tried to grasp the enormity of what that single sound could have meant. He was aware that the atmosphere in the carriage had been at breaking point, its tension reflected in the anxious preparations of those on the outside, the hushed orders for the SWAT teams to move in. He was also aware that Reid had been central to that growing tension, too central…

"See you when you get back". His own words returned in that instance to mock him, they'd been such empty words…said only because Reid had asked for them, had needed them. But he realised now that he hadn't believed them himself, he'd realised on some basic level that there was a large chance that Reid wouldn't be coming back. That this risky idea to appease the unsub would be a risk too far, and yet he had played the role of higher authority, he had weighed the options and risked the life of one on the hope of saving more. He had known that when they'd realised that the unsub had decided on a final game-plan. And now that single sound, echoed like the sound of failure in his head, for he had failed.

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Morgan tensed at the gunshot, his eyes darkening as he realised that it had originated from the carriage. The carriage where his best friend had managed to become entrapped with the newest in a long line of psychotic individuals whom seemed to spot the large bullseye painted on the young genius. For a long moment he gazed blankly at the screens in front of him, not daring to look properly…not wanting to see the truth he feared would be shown there.

Taking a deep breath he finally forced himself to look, and found himself watching a frozen scene with Reid standing over Bryar. He waited, expecting in his dread that Reid would fall, would crumple before his eyes any second. Instead the young Genius straightened turning to look at one of the other passengers for a brief moment, and Morgan realised with a jolt that the man was also holding a gun and that Bryar was slumped on the seat with blood blossoming under his shirt… that jolt was enough to get him moving as he shot out of the trailer, he needed to see for himself…not just through a black and white picture.

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JJ could only blink as Morgan rushed out of the television room, the moisture in her eyes that had appeared seconds after the gunshot refusing to vanish as she watched as Gideon rushed into the carriage, and Reid stepped slightly away from the fallen unsub. Her eyes drinking in the sight of her colleagues…although in truth her gaze was mainly for Reid…alive and well. For like Morgan, she had believed that that shot had been for Reid, and that she had been about to see her colleague and friend die in front of her eyes. That fear had been present since the second that they'd watched Elle slam into Bryar and Reid's desperate attempt to wrestle the weapon away from him.

Sniffling slightly she hastily rubbed at her eyes. Getting to her feet she forced herself to become composed, as soon as everything was secured it'd be her turn to take the stage. To tell the public that the situation was resolved, that this little part of the world was safe again for now. They would never get to see or know the drama that those whom worked to achieve that safety had gone through, they wouldn't know the risks that had been taken or the fear and anguish they'd experienced. That was private, saved for those involved alone.

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Garcia had instantly closed her eyes at the sound of the gun going off, unable to look at the video feed dominating her screens for fear of what she'd see. The image of her junior G-man fighting for control of the gun flashed through her mind as she screwed her eyes shut tighter; she had seen a lot of horror on her screens but she didn't know whether she could find the courage to look, to see Reid dead….reduced to a husk of the unique, cute, sweet young man that she knew.

After a few moments she knew that she had to look, that she had to know. And to not do so would be an insult to Reid. If he'd had the courage to walk onto that train knowing the risks, to wrestle for the weapon knowing that he could end up on the wrong end, then she had to find the courage to just open her eyes…. Seconds later tears of relief were stinging her eyes as she saw her junior G-man talking to Gideon, as he worked on Bryar whom had clearly been on the receiving end of the bullet that had been fired. Relaxing back in her chair she took a deep steadying breath, whilst making a mental note to talk to Reid about not scaring her like that.

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Elle flinched violently as the gunshot rang out. Her world had narrowed down to the struggle for mastery of the gun between Bryar and Reid. Instantly her eyes sought our Reid, seeking out any sign of injury or blood…her heart racing with dread as she caught a glimpse of the gun in Bryar's hand…Bryar's limp hand. That realisation brought the rest of the world back into focus, and she realised that Reid was straightening up, and slowly she turned to stare at the quiet man that was stood trembling, a smoking gun in his hands and his eyes wide. And all she could think in that instance was that she was glad that he had done what he had done.

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Reid froze at the gunshot, waiting for pain to blossom somewhere on his body. When none was forthcoming his brain leapt back into action and he realised that Bryar had gone limp beneath him. Shaking he removed the gun from Bryar's hand and lowered his arm. At that moment Gideon appeared in the doorway, and he glanced up briefly…blankly at the senior profiler before turning his head to stare for a moment at the man that had shot Bryar.

"We need an ambulance," he was astonished by how calm his voice was as he turned back to look at Gideon whom had appeared suddenly beside him, dark eyes clearly checking him over.

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On the jet back to Quantico everyone save Reid was still awake. And although they all went about their individual activities: Gideon had his nose in a book, brow furrowed in apparent concentration, Morgan and Elle (whom had been released after a brief check-up) were engaged in a friendly poker game, JJ was engrossed in case files for potential new cases and Hotch was busy working on his case notes. They would all periodically glance across at their youngest team-mate, whom was currently curled up in a seat fast asleep with a book of some sort lent against his stomach, completely unaware of their vigil.

Morgan had soundly berated the young genius as soon as everyone was off the train, especially over removing his vest after he'd been firmly told not to. Reid had just waited him out patiently and then pointed out that he'd had to remove it to protect the hostages, but that he was sorry to have worried him. Morgan hadn't been able to argue, for he knew they would all have done the same; and he couldn't really explain why it felt so wrong for it to have been Reid in that position and taking those risks.

The others hadn't berated Reid, although Gideon had wanted to…especially about Reid staying on the train and then provoking Bryar. But their relief and the fact that Reid had actually managed to get through to the unsub, that they had failed to truly communicate with or even really understand had mollified the fear and dread they'd experienced. Mostly they were just relieved that their team, their family was still in one peace…as attested to by the light snores of the young man at the centre of their focus.

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End file.
